Living in Slough

Skills & Education

Slough is also full of talented people. Our schools are in the top 10 best performers in the country at GCSE level with 68.1% of students left school with a minimum of 5 A*-C grades. We have great Universities on our doorstep including: Imperial College London; University of West London; University of Reading; Brunel University and Royal Holloway – University of London.

Research & Development

Slough has a long history of attracting Innovation and Research and Development Investment. It has housed the World Famous ICI chemicals and paint research laboratories now owned by Akzo Nobel. Also co-located at the plant is the European Innovation Centre for Adhesives and Resins.

In recent years Mars UK Chocolate have invested up to £90 million in its European Chocolate Innovation Centre, one of the Worlds most advanced facilities. UCB have recently built one of Europe’s largest Biotechnology innovation centres. Slough’s location and access to world class skills in key value added sectors set in one of the worlds most competitive markets, provides the dynamic for such investment. With World class universities within London and the Thames Valley, one hour's travel time away, cutting edge knowledge is easily sourced.

Spending time in the Thames Valley

Slough is a town with vitality – it bubbles with different cultures. There are lots of parks, open spaces and waterways, so it feels like a town in the country. Our reputation for leisure facilities, shopping and public events grows every year. We have lots of places for business people to stay and the area is growing and developing all the time.

'Heart of Slough'

Slough is changing. A 29-acre site in the centre of the town is being transformed in a £450 million regeneration scheme. Heart of Slough will strengthen the local economy and make Slough a better place to live and work. Highlights include The Curve, a learning and cultural centre, an iconic new bus station, new offices, and better links from the bus and rail station to the town centre.

The new development will be beautifully designed, sustainable and energy-efficient, with new homes and open spaces, and improved public transport.

Fit, healthy and full of knowledge

We have leisure centres and health clubs across the town, and a bowling alley, ice rink and athletics centre. Training for ITV’s ‘Dancing on Ice’ takes place at the ice rink, and Olympic teams prepared for London 2012 at the Thames Valley Athletics Centre.

Nearby in Wexham and Stoke Poges, there are top-class golf courses. And there are parks and open spaces across the borough for walkers, joggers and everyone else who enjoys the fresh air. Find out more at www.slough.gov.uk.

Enjoy history? There is a variety of temporary and permanent exhibitions at Slough Museum. Find out what is on now at www.sloughmuseum.co.uk.

Eating & shopping

There is fine dining in independent restaurants, and fast food chains for people on the move. There is always somewhere to take a client for a business lunch. Enjoy traditional English pub grub, food from India and the subcontinent, Italian, Mediterranean and East Asian dining experiences.

On the high street, you will find Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Boots and more. We also have two indoor shopping complexes, The Queensmere and Observatory, and a selection of independent and specialist shops.

Staying in Slough

There is accommodation for all budgets. We have B&Bs and hotels with leisure and conference facilities for long and short business trips.

Art & Events

Art at the Centre transforms Slough’s high street through patterned paving, lighting and seating. It injects colour, style and uniqueness, connecting Slough today and Slough of the past.

We have a canal festival in September, a bonfire and fireworks display in November and a Christmas lights ceremony. There are also smaller community events and carnivals throughout the town and specialist markets in the town centre. Find out what is on at www.slough.gov.uk.

invest@slough.gov.uk

Case Studies

Telefonica (O2)

In Slough, we have sales, marketing, finance, operations, IT and network technology people. So a lot of our business planning and creation of innovative services goes on in Slough. Next it is O2 Ville – our vision over the next three years on how O2 can help customers connect to the people and things that are important to them, like health and financial services, M2M devices, WIFI and unified comms.

Lonza

Slough is the centre of excellence for biologics process development and small scale manufacturing. Our other biologics plants are in Singapore, Spain and North America. A lot of projects start life in Slough.

SEGRO

SEGRO in Slough said, "We share the same sorts of aims as the Council. We want to bring businesses to Slough and keep them here, put money into the local economy, and help regenerate the area. - We have got strong relationships with the local authority, councillors and the local community..."

Hytera

Slough has a very multinational community and we enjoy life here. There’s a lot to do nearby. We like walking to Windsor, only an hour away, when the weather’s good. - And London provides endless possibilities… brunch in China Town, movies in Leicester Square, walks by the Thames at Westminster, or trips to museums, art galleries and West End theatres are just some of the things we appreciate.

BCC Link To China

From our point of view, we hope Slough can be seen as one of the prime locations for Chinese investors seeking to invest in UK cities and areas. From a Chinese investor’s point of view, there are lots of USPs Slough can offer, like Heathrow airport and the Western Rail Access to Heathrow (WRAtH) direct-rail-to-Heathrow scheme.

Chinese investors looking for projects can invest in our industrial parks. And as Slough is one of the biggest in Europe, it gives the area a fantastic advantage.